Scavuzzo caps season playing for St. Paul boys, girls teams

By DON HOHLER
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Sep 26, 2017 at 11:10 PM

GALION – Gabby Scavuzzo is a girl among boys.

The diminutive St. Paul senior admittedly does not care which St. Paul golf team, boys or girls, she plays on. One thing is for certain, she plays No. 1 on both — and when teeing it up with the guys, she has to play from the men’s tees.

Weighing not much more than 100 pounds, she drives the ball as long and as straight as many of the boys.

I see it as no big deal,” said Scavuzzo, a 4.1-GPA student. She shot an 89 last Thursday at Valley View in Galion, the site of the Firelands Conference boys tournament. “Playing from the men’s tees makes me concentrate on hitting the ball in the middle of the club face.”

That 89 put her solidly on the All-FC boys second team.

Scavuzzo is allowed to play 20 times over the course of the season. Three of those were with Mike McLaughlin’s boys team, the Norwalk and Bellevue Invitationals and the FC tournament.

The 17-year-old daughter of Scott and Debbie Scavuzzo started playing golf in elementary school. Unquestionably, it is her favorite sport.

“It’s easy to work at a sport you love to play,” she said. “Last year my scores were pretty much in the 90s. My goal this fall to score steadily in the 80s, and I have succeeded in doing that. My goal is make it to the district for the second straight year.”

On Tuesday, Scavuzzo was back at Valley View in the Division II girls sectional tournament. She opened with a 40 on the back nine, then came back with a 46 on the front nine holes to finish with an 86. Unfortunately, that missed the district cut by a single stroke.

“I love golf and love the competition, but I have no plans on playing college golf,” Scavuzzo said. “I will head for college with a new goal in mind, that of being an interior designer.”